I love helping connect people to books, videos and courses that will improve their chess. I haven’t read all of the books on the list, going through them when I have the chance. This list includes books/ Chessable courses grouped by topic ranging from beginner and intermediate. I update this list periodically as I go through the books and courses.
Board Vision
- Chess Mazes by Bruce Alberston 1 & 2
- Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games (Focus on mate in 1)
- Mastering Mates 1: 1,111 One-Move Mates (Focus on mate in 1)
- The Unexpected Mate in 1
- Lichess Mate in 1
- Board Vision Training
1 Move Puzzles
- Learn Chess the Right Way Books 1-3
- Typical Tactical Tricks: 500 Ways to Win!
- Lichess Mate in 1
- Lichess One-move puzzles
Opening Principles
General
- Everyone’s Second Chess Book by Dan Heisman
2 Move Puzzles (3-Ply Visualization, Calculation)
- Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games (Focus on mate in 2)
- Mastering Mates 2 (Focus on mate in 2)
- Learn Chess the Right Way Book 4 ( most are 3-ply, few 4-5ply)
- The Chess Elevator: Climb to 1200 and beyond
- Lichess Mate in 2
- Lichess 2 move puzzles
Tactics, Preventing Blunders, Recognizing Threats, Defending
- Typical Tactical Tricks: 500 Ways to Win!
- The Chess Elevator: Climb to 1200 and beyond
- Everyone’s First Chess Workbook by Peter Giannatos
- Learn Chess The Right Way Series by Susan Polgar
- My Opponent’s Threats: Piece Safety Training
- Preventing Blunders in Chess
- Knights on the Attack
- Beginner’s Guide to Chess Tactics
- Fundamentals of Chess Defense
- Common Chess Patterns
- Blunder Busters
- 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners
Checkmate Patterns
- How to Find the Perfect Mate
- How to Beat Your Dad at Chess
- The Checkmate Patterns Manual
- Setting Up Checkmate Patterns
- Dazzling Defenses against Checkmate Patterns
- Defending Checkmate a.k.a Blunder Busters
Calculation
- Introduction to Chess Calculation
- Fundamental Chess Calculation Skills
- Calculation for Tournament Players
Instructive Game Collections
- A First Book of Morphy by Frisco Del Rosario
- Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev
- Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson
- Instructive Chess Miniatures by Alper
- Winning Chess Strategies by Yasser Seirawan
- The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev
- Simple Chess by Michael Stean
- Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking by Neil McDonald
- The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl
Strategy
- The Foundational Concepts of Positional Play
- Winning Chess Strategies
- Chess Principles Reloaded – Center
Endgame
- 100 Basic Endgames You Must Know
- Basic Endgames on Chessable
Dr. Can Chessable Order
- The Chess Elevator: Climb to 1200 and beyond
- Preventing Blunders in Chess
- The Foundational Concepts of Positional Play
- Fundamental Chess Calculation Skills
GothamChess
